“Tokyo Biennale 2025 – Art Projects Originating in Local Areas of Tokyo” will be held between October 17 (Fri) and December 21 (Sun), 2025 (tentatively). This year’s festival theme is “Wander for Wonder,” inviting participants to explore artistic expressions by walking through the city.

In addition to the “Bakurocho Art Site,” which will be held at Etoile Kaito Living Building, at the “Kan’ei-ji Art Site” visitors may tour the main hall of Toeizan Kan’ei-ji Temple, which is celebrating its 400th anniversary, along with various other structures located within Ueno Park. Overall, the festival will consist of art actions in six different areas in the northeastern area of central Tokyo.

The event program will begin close to one month before the exhibition period begins, and participating artists will go out into the city to conduct research, workshops, and other activities while interacting with local citizens to create exhibitions. The biennale will also include “SOCIAL DIVE 2025,” an international program that is now calling for art projects by overseas artists in response to the festival concept.

Moreover, in April 2025 we will launch a comprehensive project aimed at exploring “sanpo*” in depth, including the “Sanpo University Special Lecture” series where participants will consider the meaning of “sanpo,” as well as the “Sanpo Art Map Project” (tentative name) in which artists, businesses, specialists, and local residents will participate. We hope that participants will share in our excitement of the possibilities of “sanpo” by joining us for the Tokyo Biennale 2025, along with the events leading toward it.

*“Sanpo” is the Japanese term for walking or strolling.

Theme and Concept

When walking through the streets of Tokyo, we feel the crowds of people moving quickly towards their destination. They are indifferent to each other and do not notice the troubles or small sufferings of others. Some may find this distance between people in the city relaxing, since facing people head-on takes energy. Yet, is there not a way to overcome such resignation and easily, gently connect all of us? Does art not have that power?

The theme of the Tokyo Biennale 2025 is “Wander for wonder” When walking side by side, even in silence, a gentle connection is born. Walking slowly without a purpose opens up our perspectives and allows us to see scenery we had not noticed before.

Through this art festival, “art” is made up of all the events that we encounter, as they come to life during the course of a walk.

Together we can creatively change the relationships between the people we walk with, come to notice things we did not know (or already knew), realize what is hindering our mind and body, be able to empathize with others emotionally, and feel that we are not alone, even when we are by ourselves. Events for anyone, that can be joined as many times as one likes – this new type of biennale where we can take a stroll together with our minds and our bodies is about to begin.

Susumu Namikawa, Min Nishihara, Hiroyuki Hattori
Co-Directors, Tokyo Biennale 2025

Event Information

[Title] Tokyo Biennale 2025 – Art Projects Originating in Local Areas of Tokyo
[Theme]  “Wander for Wonder”
[General Producer] Masato Nakamura
[Co-Directors] Susumu Namikawa, Min Nishihara, Hiroyuki Hattori
[Supervising Producer] Shinobu Nakanishi

[Period] October 17 (Fri) – December 21 (Sun), 2025 (Tentative)
[Venues and Areas]
Main Venues: Bakurocho Art Site, Kan’ei-ji Art Site
Areas: Six total areas – Ueno-Okachimachi area, Kanda-Akihabara area, Suidobashi area, Nihonbashi area, Yaesu-Kyobashi area, Daimaruyu area (as of April 8th, 2025）

[Organizer] General Non-Profit Incorporated Organization Tokyo Biennale
[Cooperation] Tokyo University of the Arts
[Corporate Partners] Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd., TOKYO DOME CORPORATION
[Special Venue Cooperation] Toeizan Kanʼei-ji Temple, Etoile Kaito & Co., Inc.
[Subsidy] Japan Cultural Expo 2.0 (Japan Arts Council/Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan)
(as of April 8th, 2025)

[Tickets] Advanced tickets will be available from early September 2025
Bakurocho and Kanʼei-ji Temple Art Sites Combined Ticket:
Advanced ‒ 2,500 yen (Standard 3,000 yen) *Estimated fees
[Other Admission Information]
Art Actions: Free (with the exception of certain venues)
Event Programs: Requires fee (varies by program)
Further details to be announced in late August

Please refer to the press release for further details.